Finger OFF the Trigger Stupid

Tactical Tips by Larry Vickers

Fayetteville, NC --(Ammoland.com)- One thing I like to highlight in my classes is ‘real’ world firearms safety- not the firearms safety that an NRA certified instructor reads off a little card he carries in his wallet but gun safety as it applies to you in the world we live in.

The world that is full of lawyers that would like nothing more than to take everything you own. With that in mind here goes;

Accuracy Is King
1) In the real world there are no paper targets or 12 foot earth berms behind the target. On the two way range the targets shoot back and the best backstop you can hope to have is the upper torso of the bad guy your dealing with. This is yet another reason why accuracy is king in the real world and always remember when you pull the trigger you own the bullet you just launched- good or bad.

Danger Loaded Weapon
2) Treat every weapon as if is loaded at all times; read that last part again- at all times!! We know this is important but people don’t do it. Something in our brain says that once the gun is ‘empty’ it is inert and we can point it anywhere we want to – this is dangerous as all we have to be is wrong one time and a life changing event could happen.

This is actually the most commonly violated safety rule of them all.

Muzzle Awareness
3) Muzzle awareness; goes hand in hand with #2 – always ask yourself ‘what if this weapon where to discharge right now?’

You want the answer to be ‘ my ears would be ringing but no one would be hurt’ . This one can’t be over emphasized because in the real world LE and Military sweep people with their muzzles all the time as a matter of doing business- in some cases it can’t be avoided. My theory is you need to know where the gun is pointing at all times and only sweep someone if it is absolutely necessary- in the civilian sector it rarely is, if ever.

Finger OFF the Trigger Stupid
4) Finger OFF trigger until ready to fire. This is The golden Rule - the firearms safety law that allows you to use and handle weapons on a regular basis without harming yourself or someone else. And the rule that is mandatory in this day and age; case in point the is Glock handguns – the most popular in the world and pistols that require you put this rule into practice each and every time you handle one.

Not only is firearms safety everyone’s responsibility you have to practice it 24/7 – you have to remain diligent and never let your guard down- remember it only takes one mistake to change your life or someone else’s life forever.

Stay safe and stay shooting!

LAV out.

Larry Vickers

About:
Larry Vickers is a retired career special operations soldier with 20-plus years of service to our country.

A longtime 1st SFOD- Delta operational member, he was a key player in the small arms marksmanship expertise and weapons selection of that Unit.

He brings a very unique set of skills to the market, and has a wide and varied background in the firearms industry.

Visit www.vickerstactical.com

Vickers & Hackathorn 1911 Pistol Centennial Class

VickersTactical.com

Marietta Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- Announcing a once in a life time opportunity to spend three days celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1911 handgun with some of the foremost 1911 experts in the world.

Ken Hackathorn & Larry Vickers Special 1911 Centennial Celebration Class

Aug 6-8, 2011 – Marietta, Ohio

Sponsored by Wilson Combat

This class will fill quickly! Click here to sign up NOW.

Instructors

Ken Hackathorn has served as a US Army Special Forces Small Arms Instructor, Gunsite Instructor, and NRA Police Firearms Instructor. He is currently an FBI Certified Firearms Instructor, Certified Deputy Sheriff with Washington County SO, Ohio, and a SRT member and Special Response Team trainer. Ken has trained US Military Special Operations forces, Marine FAST and SOTG units and is a contract small arms trainer to FBI SWAT and HRT.

Larry Vickers is a decorated US Army Special Forces veteran and national pistol champion. Mr. Vickers has nearly two decades of special operations experience with over fifteen spent in 1 SFOD-Delta, with a significant portion as it’s primary firearms instructor. In addition to his special operations accomplishments, his competitive shooting has yielded a 10th and 9th place finish in the 1993 and 1994 USPSA Limited Nationals as well as a 1st place finish in CDP class at the 2001 IDPA Mid-Winter Nationals at Smith & Wesson. Mr. Vickers is a founding member of IDPA. In addition to being a highly experienced operator and national pistol champion, Mr. Vickers is also one of the premier 1911 pistolsmiths in the country and his work has been featured in several firearms publications and on the cover of American Handgunner. In addition to all this, Mr. Vickers has served as a consultant and technical expert to the firearms industry. Mr. Vickers is featured on two new firearms, tactics, and accessories focused T.V. shows called Tactical Impact and Tactical Arms.

Guest Speakers

John Miller: former US Army Marksmanship unit armorer famous for 1911 and M14 work.

Wayne Novak: Owner of Novak Designs Inc, world famous for his custom gunsmith work and as the designer of the world renowned Novak low-mount rear sight.

Wilson Combat: Representatives from Wilson Combat will be on hand and will be supplying products and prizes for the entire class.

Schedule

Day One
The 1st day of the class will be spent entirely on the range shooting 1911 specific range drills that highlight the differences of shooting a 1911 vs other handguns and other various handgun drills. Larry and Ken will be alternating the primary instructor position between strings.

Day Two
The 2nd day of the class will be split between the flat range and the Fort Harmar shoot house. Ken will be handling the shoot house portion working single man movement & approaches, hallways and T intersections, room entry, target discrimination, low light encounters, surgical shooting exercises, etc. Larry will be working the other half of the class on a flat range. At the mid point of the day lunch break the class will swap instructors.

After a full day on the range the class will travel to the Holiday Inn Conference Center for a catered dinner and 1911 seminar.

Ken, Larry, and guest speakers John Miller (U.S. Army Marksmanhip Unit) and Wayne Novak of (Novak’s Inc.) will be hand to discuss the history of the 1911, modern 1911, suggested modifications, upgrades, accessories, etc.

***There will also be many extremely rare & interesting 1911′s on display from personal collections.***

Day Three
The third day of the class will be spent in the classroom. In this section Ken/Larry will teach detailed disassembly, troubleshooting, recommended and not recommended modifications, and a detailed inspection of each students 1911. If a problem is detected it will be fixed on the spot (if possible). This will give students the knowledge and skills needed to identify and diagnose problems.

Cost: $850

Range facilities:
Fort Harmar Rifle Club
P.O. Box 475
Marietta Ohio, 45750

Range website: www.fortharmar.com

Weapon & Gear Class Requirements

• – Serviceable 1911 handgun of at least 9mm Para caliber
• – Serviceable holster
• – Minimum 1 double magazine pouch (Ability to carry two spare mags – at a minimum) on body.
• – Minimum of 3 serviceable magazines (5-8 is better)
• – 800 rounds of ammo
• – Weapon cleaning & lubrication supplies
• – Electronic hearing protection
• – Eye Protection
• – Suitable range wear depending on the season
• – Weapon cleaning & lubrication supplies
• – Good attitude

Special Thanks to Wilson Combat: www.wilsoncombat.com

Cheers,

Larry Vickers
Vickers Tactical, Inc

About:
Larry Vickers is a retired career special operations soldier with 20-plus years of service to our country. A longtime 1st SFOD- Delta operational member, he was a key player in the small arms marksmanship expertise and weapons selection of that Unit. He brings a very unique set of skills to the market, and has a wide and varied background in the firearms industry.

Visit www.vickerstactical.com

EOTAC Larry Vickers Combat Glove

EOTAC.com

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C.--(AmmoLand.com)- EOTAC, makers of the highest quality tactical and discreet garments available to operators, announces the addition of the new Vickers Duty Glove to its line of accessories.

This new style has been much anticipated. Larry Vickers and EOTAC developed the glove after many requests from end users for a wrist length, non-Nomex version of the very popular Vickers Mid-Length Combat Glove.

The palm of the Vickers Duty Glove is artesian table cut from a selected grade of water repellent Goatskin. The construction of the palm and fourchettes (sides of the fingers) is functionally curved and fully adjustable for an enhanced grip and tactility. The back of the hand is 100% precision stretch polyester. This highly breathable soft-shell is enhanced with a durable water repellant finish; Tricot lined.

The elasticized wrist keeps the glove snug. The adjustable strap helps the user adjust the tautness of the glove. Padded protection over the back of the knuckles. Goatskin reinforcement over the back of the finger joints and finger tips for added durability.

“After so many requests from customers for a wrist length version of our Mid-Length Combat Glove, it made sense to introduce a new “Shorty” version that can be used by law enforcement officers that don’t require Nomex,” said Fernando Coelho, president of EOTAC.

The Duty Glove is available in Black. The retail price is $34.99 for sizes 7 to 14 and 8-10 Cadet (shorter finger length version).

For more information on the EOTAC line of tactical and discreet accessories and garments contact EOTAC directly at (803) 744-9930, visit an EOTAC dealer or order online at www.eotac.com.

FEATURES:
- Padded Knuckle Area
- Curved Finger Design
- Elasticized Wrist
- Strap Adjustment
- Goatskin Reinforcement in Critical Areas

About EOTAC
EOTAC taps decades of real world military, law enforcement, and private sector experience to produce the highest quality tactical and discreet garments available to operators today. Offering both traditional and next gen tactical clothing, EOTAC designs innovate without sacrificing utility or comfort. Leveraging outdoor industry experience and end user feedback, EOTAC continually refines the capabilities of its product line maintaining a high level of excellence in every garment offered.

Accuracy – Tactical Tips by Larry Vickers

Tactical Tips by Larry Vickers

VickersTactical.com

Fayetteville, NC – -(AmmoLand.com)- As anyone who has taken one of my classes can attest I am very accuracy oriented. My classes always stress a high degree of accuracy. That is because in a gunfight accuracy will almost always suffer. There are many reasons for this not the least of which is you may very well be receiving fire from your assailant. In addition there is a high likelihood that you will be moving, your enemy may be moving, and it could be in an environment of limited visibility.

All of these factors and countless others will have a negative affect on accuracy. The hope is that if you strive for a high degree of accuracy in your training that when your accuracy suffers in a gunfight, it will still be enough to get the job done. This approach has been used with great effectiveness in Tier One special operations units for years. I am a product of that school of thought, and I have trained a great many of these soldiers with that approach uppermost in my mind.

Larry Vickers

Whenever I teach drills, I always tell my students to shoot as fast as they can, but not at the expense of a reasonable accuracy standard. One of the techniques I use frequently is to place a 25 yd pistol bullseye center target on the chest area of an IPSC or IDPA target. I then tell the students to shoot as fast as they can on each and every drill but always strive to keep the shots in the black of the bullseye. On drills such as shooting on the move this is opened up to keep your shots on the replacement center paper. This is commonly known as the ‘aim small, miss small’ approach. Part way through the first day I will peel off the bullseye and show the students the large ragged hole that inevitable results from this drill. This reinforces the teaching point that speed is fine, but accuracy is final – words that I live by.

Another question I get frequently asked is what is the acceptable mechanical or intrinsic accuracy for a service pistol or carbine. Meaning what should the weapon/ammo combination be capable of producing from a shooting device or rest that eliminates shooter error. Keep in mind I come from a surgical accuracy oriented special operations background with little margin for error. Based on this and years of experience I have concluded that a service pistol should be capable of head shots at 25 yds and a service carbine should be capable of the same at 100 yds – basically 5 inch groups. However there is a catch; I have found that under conditions of stress a shooter will only be able to shoot to within roughly 50 % of the accuracy potential of a given weapon. And that is only for the best shooters; the majority will not even be close to that. That means in order to achieve my standard of head shots (5 inch groups) at a given distance the weapon/ammo combination needs to be capable of at least 2.5 inch groups. I personally measure that accuracy standard with 10 shot groups. Many quality service pistols and carbines with good ammo will achieve this but there are many other factors involved such as sights and trigger pull characteristics. By these criteria it is not hard to see why a tuned 1911 pistol is so popular in selected spec ops units. Keep in mind that any effort to make a weapon more accurate almost always means tightening tolerances which can lead to a less than acceptable reliability standard for a combat weapon. A balance between accuracy and reliability has to be achieved. Surprisingly there are many pistols and carbines that do a good job offering an acceptable blend of both. In addition weapons of this type will require a higher degree of end user maintenance to keep them running. Don’t expect a pistol to shoot like a custom 1911 but be as forgiving about maintenance as a Glock 17; it just doesn’t happen that way.

In closing always strive to maintain a high degree of accuracy in your training sessions. It will serve you well in case you ever have to use your weapon for real. Remember the motto on the home page of this website: Speed is fine- Accuracy is final.

About:
Larry Vickers is a retired career special operations soldier with 20-plus years of service to our country. A longtime 1st SFOD- Delta operational member, he was a key player in the small arms marksmanship expertise and weapons selection of that Unit. He brings a very unique set of skills to the market, and has a wide and varied background in the firearms industry.

Visit www.vickerstactical.com